textfiles/magazines/SKYGUIDE/skyguide.23

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Skyguide Issue 023

-------------------------------- SKYGUIDE UK ---------------------------------
|                                                                            |
|    Your digest of the latest news in the world of Satellite & Cable TV     |
|                                                                            |
------------------------- Week Ending Sun August 29th ------------------------

* THE SCRAMBLING GOES ON

Scrambling tests on Sky One are being intensified in the run-up to the launch
of the Multi Channels package on September 1st.

As well as reminding viewers of the urgency to subscribe if they have not
already done so, these tests are also being used to highlight a number of
official Sky viewing cards that do not appear to decode Multichannels
properly.

Sky have recently made some changes to their Videocrypt transmissions to knock
out the flood of pirate cards that are circulating around Europe. Viewers with
pirate cards have found that Sky channels now alternate between clear and
scrambled every three seconds.

While an upgrade has been announced for these pirate cards to circumvent this
effect, there is still doubt as to whether the Multichannels package will be
correctly unscrambled by the unlicensed cards.

Sky One's encryption tests have revealed a small number of official Sky cards
that will not decode Multichannels properly either, although this can be fixed
by a simple over-the-air upgrade which cures the problem instantly.
Subscribers experiencing problems can call Sky for the upgrade to be sent then
and there.


* GOLDIE BITES THE DUST

Sky aren't the only broadcasters planning a new look for their channels in
September. UK Gold will introduce major continuity, presentation and schedule
changes in an effort to reflect a fresher, more modern and welcoming look for
the channel.

Live continuity, almost unheard of on UK satellite channels although quite
common terrestrially, will be introduced, and evening schedules will be
simplified. There will be an hour of soaps at 6pm, drama at 7pm, comedy at
8pm and more drama at 9pm.

UK Gold's on-screen dog, originally named "Goldie" although never referred to
on-air as such, will be replaced by a new station logo.

New programmes planned for the Autumn season include BBC comedies Ever
Decreasing Circles, Brush Strokes and Are You Being Served?, plus the dramas
All Creatures Great And Small, Rockliffe's Babies, Secret Army, and The
Survivors.


* ON AIR

German broadcaster ZDF is now on air on Astra 1C, Transponder 33. It joins
the East German regional channel MDR3 and SWF who are now also broadcasting
on the satellite.

ARD, Germany's first national channel has now taken over the Astra 1B
transponder from Eins Plus.


* CHANNEL HOPPING

Filmnet's out-of-band transponder on Astra 1C is now carrying some encryption
tests. While many viewers have been able to pick up RTL-5's out-of-band
broadcasts, it is unlikely that many domestic viewers will be able to pick up
Filmnet's broadcasts with their existing equipment.

Meanwhile, a set of identical test-cards have been sighted on Astra 1C, on
Transponders 34, 38 and 47.

34 and 38 have been ear-marked for UK Living, due to launch on September 1st,
and QVC, to launch in the clear on October 1st.

Transponder 47's fate is still not officially known, although SES have now
confirmed that the test card is, along with the others, being uplinked by BT
in the UK, on behalf of a British broadcaster.

It is now almost certain that this broadcaster is Sky, who will use it to
launch a second sports channel, as predicted in Skyguide Issue 21.


* YET MORE SPORT

Speaking of which, Sky Sports will begin broadcasting the UK hockey season,
beginning on October 12th.


* AND THEN THERE WERE SUBTITLES (Or 'As we predicted several months ago...')

>From October, Sky's premium movie channels will carry teletext subtitles for
the deaf and heard of hearing on a number of major movies and premieres.

In October, the following ten films will carry subtitles on page 888:

Sky Movies: Cape Fear, The Doctor, Final Analysis, Father Of The Bride.

Movie Channel: Basic Instinct, Prince Of Tides, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man,
Bugsy, The Butcher's Wife, Shining Thorough.

The subtitles will be produced with the assistance of Independent Media
Support Limited. It is possible that the majority of subtitles will be
purchased from outside agencies rather than created in-house. Many of the
films listed above were among the first batch of videos released in the UK
with NCI closed-caption subtitles.

This makes Sky the first satellite broadcaster to carry teletext subtitles on
their channels. Other UK broadcasters may follow, with UK Gold in particular
being a distinct possibility, owing to the large amount of material already
subtitled by Ceefax or Oracle for the original terrestrial screenings.


* A SMALL POINT

Sky Movies Plus becomes no more as of September 1st, when the channel reverts
its original title of just "Sky Movies". The "Plus" was added to the channel
name over two years ago, to reflect the additional special events such as WWF
Wrestling or live pop concerts that were carried on the channel on an
occasional basis.


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Skyguide Issue 23                                         Edited by Ant Purvis

Skyguide is published every week. You can find it on London's CIX conferencing
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Radio Network, and on internet in the alt.satellite.tv.europe newsgroup.

Skyguide is not a commercial publication, nor is it a cut-down version of a
printed journal. Nonetheless, it is copyright, and is not to be redistributed
in any form without consent. Errors and Omissions expected.

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Comments, suggestions, stories and monetary donations are always appreciated!
You can contact Skyguide in the following ways:

CIX     : mail to bignoise, or use the Skyguide/comments conference.
Fidonet : Netmail to ANTONY PURVIS at 2:251/203, or leave a message in the
          Satellite TV echo. Please note the new netmail address!
Internet: bignoise@cix.compulink.co.uk
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